Our Team
Fariba Hafezi
President
With 35 years of experience in the baking industry and a prestigious degree from Cordon Bleu in Paris, Fariba is a seasoned expert in pastry arts and culinary skills.
Early in her career, Fariba served as the Director of the Pastry Department at Scottsdale Culinary Institute/Cordon Bleu. She developed comprehensive curricula for basic and advanced patisserie courses, ensuring students received top-notch education and training. Throughout her career, she held Research & Development positions at renowned manufacturers like Gizella's and Gourmet Baker, where she played a pivotal role in creating innovative and delicious baked goods. For 12 years, Fariba excelled as a Key Account Manager at BakeMark, providing exceptional support to 10 chain stores across Canada in their day-to-day operations. Moreover, she offered valuable insights and expert guidance as a trusted consultant for bakery departments, enhancing operational efficiency, product offerings, and profitability.
Driven by a deep passion for pastry-making, a results-oriented mindset, and an unwavering commitment to innovation, Fariba consistently pushed the boundaries of excellence, resulting in a proven track record of success in the baking industry.
Gordon Groening
Sales Analyst Director
With over 50 years of experience in the retail baking industry, Gordy is a passionate sales leader who knows how to deliver results. He began his career as a baker and owner of a full-line bakery, where he developed his skills in marketing, merchandising, and customer relations. For the last 33 years, he has been a sales management representative in Canada, offering innovative solutions and sales assistance to large chain store clients. He is proficient in computer programs, cost management, and margin analysis, and he has a proven track record of challenging and exceeding expectations.
Gordy's exceptional interpersonal, communication, and negotiation skills enable him to thrive in collaborative, cross-functional team environments. With a self-motivated and adaptable nature, he consistently rises to the occasion and effectively navigates evolving needs and priorities.
Gordy's true passion lies in leveraging his leadership and expertise to propel your business towards unparalleled success and sustained growth.
Helen Xie
Food Safety & Quality Consultant
With over 10 years of expertise, Helen is the seasoned professional who can enhance and elevate your food quality and safety program.
Armed with a Master of Food Science degree from UBC, Helen embarked on her journey as a Lab Technician in a national bakery facility. There, she honed her skills and steadily progressed to oversee food safety management across multiple operations spanning Canada and the US.
Helen possesses extensive experience in assisting clients, scaling from startups to large food facilities, with a proven track record of guiding companies to achieve excellent scores under GFSI (BRC, SQF), and Organic audit schemes. Moreover, Helen conducted various tasks including label verification, due diligence inspections for company mergers and acquisitions, offering support for import/export documentation, and providing Food Safety Training.
Helen holds a fervent passion for supporting clients on their food safety journey, aiding them in meeting and surpassing industry standards. Her unequivocal objective is to be your partner in amplifying sales and propelling business success by establishing an unwavering foundation in food safety.